Pakistan strikes Afghan border as Red Crescent reports 18 dead

Pakistan said it carried out strikes along the Afghanistan border early Sunday; the Afghan Red Crescent and provincial officials reported 18 people killed and said civilian areas in Nangarhar and Paktika were hit.

Pakistan said it carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan early Sunday, saying the operations targeted militant hideouts. Afghan officials and the Afghan Red Crescent reported that civilian areas in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika were struck and cited deaths and injuries. Pakistan's information minister described the operations as intelligence-based against camps tied to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and an Islamic State affiliate. The strikes come after a series of recent militant attacks in Pakistan and follow a truce and previous rounds of talks between the two countries. Reported details: - Pakistan announced cross-border strikes aimed at militant camps, saying the operations targeted seven TTP camps and an affiliate of the Islamic State, according to the information minister. - The Afghan Defence Ministry said various civilian areas in Nangarhar and Paktika were hit, including a madrassa and multiple homes, and called the strikes a violation of Afghanistan's airspace and sovereignty. - The Afghan Red Crescent's provincial director in Nangarhar reported 18 people killed and several wounded, and an Afghan government spokesperson said dozens were killed or wounded, including women and children. Summary: The strikes have increased tensions between Islamabad and Kabul and follow recent deadly attacks inside Pakistan that Pakistani officials have blamed on groups based across the border. Diplomatic and procedural responses were discussed in existing talks and appeals to international actors, but the immediate next step or a formal, scheduled response is undetermined at this time.